Our hotel is a short walk from the train station, however, getting out of the train station is our first conundrum. So many exits, so little time, and we are trying to figure out which one is across the street from our hotel. We find the right exit, cross the street, check in, and discover that the Pullman Paris Montparnasse is a very high-tech hotel; the elevators were programmed to go to specific floors and are regulated by room keys rather than a call button. This worked efficiently to get us to our room on the 24th floor until one day the key reader was not working and we had to wait in the lobby until the elevators could be reprogrammed. That evening we have dinner at a nearby cafe and I take a photo of the city from our hotel window.

Our adventure the next day was to the Basilica Sacré Coeur de Montmartre. We took the metro to get there.

The Sacré Coeur was built over a period of 40 years and completed in 1914. Construction of the Roman Catholic Church was controversial, mainly for political reasons including the separation of church and state and therefore, was financed primarily by private donations. It’s one of the newest churches in Paris and the second most popular tourist destination; only the Eiffel Tower is more popular.

From its high location, the Basilica overlooks the city of Paris.

We step inside the church to check out the mosaic ceiling which is one of the largest mosaics in the world. In the mosaic, Christ has a golden or “sacred” heart for which the church is named.

After leaving the church we stop to check out this classic two-cylinder (2CV) Citroën along the street. It was manufactured between 1948 and 1990 and has a 40 mile-per-hour top speed. The seat upholstery in this one was pretty neat too. It was famous for its low price and utility.

We continue to wander the Montmartre area heading downhill with our ultimate destination the Champs-Élysées and stop to check out this windmill. Of the 30 or so windmills that were once in this part of Paris, only two remain and we stop to look at the Moulin de la Galette, also known as the Blute-fin, which was built in 1622. The windmill has been restored and moved from its original location. The name galette, is from a popular brown bread made by the Debray family who took over the mill in the early 19th century.

The windmill was famous not just because of its milling capabilities, but because of its related businesses including restaurants and dancing venue. This area is immortalized in Renoir’s painting Dance at the Moulin de Galette.

We continue walking down the street.

Stopping in a shop most likely for water or Magnum Bars.

We eventually reach the Arc de Triomphe and some of our group ventured to the top viewing area.

Nice view from the top looking along the Champs-Élysées toward the Place de la Concorde.

And this one includes the Eiffel Tower.

Instead of going up in the Arc de Triomphe, I elected to catch a cab back to the hotel. Nothing more fun than cabs in Paris unless it’s riding in a cab in Rome with the windows down. And this cab took me across the Seine on the Alexander Bridge and the windows were down.

Dinner out that evening again in one of the many cafes in our neighborhood and several of us had beef bourguignon. Great comfort food.

Our group at dinner sans Debby.

Our very helpful waiter.

Me with dessert again. I hope I shared that.

The next day we set out to see the Musée d’Orsay, our very favorite thing to do in Paris other than cab rides and sitting in cafes people-watching. And in the City of Lights, there must be a stop for pastry. While sitting in a cafe eating our pastries, we were surprised to see President Macron’s motorcade speed by. Lots of cars, motorcycles, sirens, tinted glass windows as well as an ambulance.

We had tickets reserved so no trouble getting admission to the museum.

The special feature at this time was an exhibit of Antoni Gaudí’s works. Having seen the Sagrada Família in Barcelona a few years ago, we were pleasantly surprised to see this exhibit. It included furniture designed by him.

As well as ceramics he incorporated into his structures.

Finally, there were large displays of houses and other buildings he had designed.

So much here to see in the museum and after leaving the Gaudí exhibit, we sought out the Impressionist paintings. One favorite is The Gleaners by Jean-Francois Millet completed in 1857.

The oil painting of Whistler’s Mother by James Abbott McNeill Whistler was completed in 1871 and purchased by the French in 1891. It is one of the most famous works by an American located outside the United States.The brushwork in this painting was astounding when we first saw it in 2004. Now, however, most of these paintings are behind glass because of the threat of vandalism and have unfortunately, lost some of their vibrancy.

Vincent van Gogh’s, The Starry Night.

Claude Monet’s, Nymphéas Bleus.

And then there is Edgar Degas’ fascinating sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.

And from the back. The wax sculpture was controversial when first exhibited in 1881 for both its realistic depiction of a young dancer’s body and the use of unorthodox materials including the muslin tutu and silk hair ribbon.

After leaving the museum, we walked to a farmer’s market, had lunch, then went back to the hotel. On the way to dinner that evening we passed by this church with the interesting front door,

Dinner was at the La Coupole in Montparnasse. It’s been in existence since 1927 and was visited by much of the artistic and literary community including the Lost Generation, a group of American expatriate writers living in Paris in the 1920s including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein. Josephine Baker performed here. It is now listed as a historical monument.

The outside entrance.

Part of the Art Deco design.

We had another great meal including French onion soup that was the best ever. The restaurant atmosphere was lively; it reminded us of New Orleans’ restaurants filled with people enjoying themselves.

The next morning we catch our shuttle to the airport and head home after a great vacation. On the way we breeze by the most popular tourist attraction.